An Internet web site is often comprised of a set of replicated Internet servers. The Internet web site functions in an environment that comprises a configuration of two or four replicated web servers that make up an individual web site and are accessed via an URL (Universal Resource Location). Performance is the key criterion an administrator uses to determine whether the replicated servers and the systems and network used are effectively configured to handle the load the web site receives. A set of metrics is used to characterize the performance of the web site. Typically, an administrative tool called a performance monitor, is provided to collect and display the performance measurements to an administrator representing the metrics.
The performance monitor assists the administrator in assessing the web site environment's performance. The performance monitor collects and displays performance measurements that are taken at regular intervals. The administrator must analyze these measurements in some detail to determine if the overall environment is behaving as the administrator expected.
This approach is improved by defining a capacity measurement that is derived from the collected performance measurements taken for a web site. The web site is operating at full capacity when each collected measurement is at its optimal value as determined by the administrator. This capability makes it very simple to determine whether a web site is performing to the expectations of the administrator. A single measurement can be used by the administrator to determine whether further analysis of the individual performance measurements is necessary. A need in the art exists for a performance monitor in which capacity measurements can be graphically displayed.